Richard Wilson Riley

Governor

Former Democratic Governor from South Carolina.

Former officeholder

Key profile metadata for Richard Wilson Riley
Party	Democratic
State	South Carolina
Start	1979-01-01
End	1987-12-31
Top PAC/Committee	—
Tracked Network	—
Foreign Context	—

Gubernatorial Profile

Governor Richard Wilson Riley

Richard Wilson Riley served as Governor of South Carolina.

Last updated Feb 14, 2026

Profile Timeline

1979-01-01 Entered office.
1987-12-31 Left office.
1979 - 1987 Time in office.

Historical Profile

This is an archival record. Live vote, finance, and scorecard panels are not shown for former or non-congressional officeholders.

RICHARD WILSON RILEY was born in Greenville County, South Carolina. He graduated cum laude from Furman University in 1954, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then served for two years as a communications officer in the U.S. Navy aboard a minesweeper. Following his naval service, Riley earned a law degree from the South […]